Notebook | Mariners may not get time to showcase Erik Bedard for trade

Among the notable absences from a Mariners workout on Thursday was the left-handed starting pitcher some teams had hoped to see showcased for a trade.

But there was no Erik Bedard to be seen at Safeco Field, with his absence blamed on bad weather said to have delayed his flight from Canada. Arthur Rhodes was also delayed in getting back to Seattle, though unlike Bedard, the left-handed relief pitcher — also the subject of trade rumors — will be available to pitch when the Mariners play tonight against the Cleveland Indians.

In Bedard's case, no one knows when he'll pitch again. And the chances of it happening before the July 31 trade deadline appear to be getting slimmer.

"We want to get him going, but we don't want to rush him," manager Jim Riggleman said. "I think the perception has been that Erik hasn't given us a lot. But it could be that maybe he gave us a lot more than he should have. I think maybe he was pitching through some things that maybe he felt, without saying anything. Whether it was his back, his hip and then his shoulder. I think we've got to make sure that he's physically really right there and ready to go."

Riggleman said if Bedard is back to 100 percent, the Mariners will have a special pitcher. He points to the lefty's 6-4 record and 3.67 earned-run average, for a losing team, while not in perfect health, as proof.

For now, the Mariners have not penciled Bedard back into the rotation. Felix Hernandez goes tonight, followed by Jarrod Washburn, Carlos Silva, Miguel Batista and R.A. Dickey.

That means Bedard might not be back until the end of the next series against the Boston Red Sox — if at all on this homestand.

"I don't know," Riggleman said. "I'm not going to know until I talk to him, we see him throw a bullpen and he says, 'Hey, that feels pretty good,' or, 'I'm a ways away yet.' "

The longer Bedard stays sidelined, the less likely it is that another team would give up something worthwhile to Seattle for him in a trade. One of the main Bedard trade suitors, the Philadelphia Phillies, appeared to remove themselves from that front on Thursday by trading three minor-league prospects for starter Joe Blanton of the Oakland Athletics.

Green stays positive

Sean Green says staying mentally strong will be a key toward getting though the rest of this season with the same numbers he posted before the break. Green leads all American League relievers with 48 appearances and knows he had some struggles last August.

But he attributes most of that to the team-wide malaise and a stretch of 15 losses in 17 games that scuttled Seattle's playoff hopes — not to any physical letdown or fatigue.

"You just have to stay mentally strong," said Green, who has a 2.72 ERA and has held opponents to a .224 batting average. "Regardless of what's going on. If you lose games, you can't let that take away from the positives."

Note

• Mariners closer J.J. Putz is to throw at least one more rehabilitation outing today for Class AAA Tacoma. After that, he'll be re-evaluated and could throw one more time on Sunday before being called back up with the Mariners.

For the record

Streak: W1

Home: 19-27

Road: 18-31

vs. AL West: 11-17

vs. L.A.: 3-6

vs. Oakland: 4-5

vs. Texas: 4-6

vs. AL East: 11-18

vs. AL Cent.: 6-14

vs. NL: 9-9

vs. LHP: 9-16

vs. RHP: 28-42

Day: 11-19

Night: 26-39

One-run: 11-19

Extra innings: 2-4

Home attendance

Season total: 1,295,282

Biggest crowd: 46,334 (March 31)

Smallest crowd: 15,818 (May 6)

Average (46 dates): 28,158

2007 average (46 dates): 31,786